SFO: Woman charged with trying to sneak 11 pounds of meth through customs

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal grand jury has indicted a North Carolina woman on a federal drug trafficking charge, alleging she tried to pass through customs at San Francisco International Airport with nearly 11 pounds of methamphetamine.

Naomi Antunez, 21, of Winston-Salem, N.C. pleaded not guilty to the charge Friday morning, authorities said. Prosecutors said Antunez took a commercial flight from Mexico to San Francisco on Dec. 13, 2002, then tried to hide 500 grams of methamphetamine in a piece of furniture inside her luggage as she tried to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers.

The indictment alleges the drugs were hidden in a piece of wood in the furniture.

Antunez could receive 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to a $10 million if she's convicted. She next appears in federal court on March 6.

Rick Hurd covers crime. Contact him in Richmond at 510-262-2728 and follow him at Twitter.com/3rdERH.